Depth measuring device for watches, and watches incorporating such a measuring device

• US 7,778,115 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Officine Panerai AG
• Original Assignee: Richemont International SA (Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA)
• Inventors: Ruchonnet, Jean-Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Application Number:
  US12/097,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/11, 368/97, 368/100, 368110-113, 732/91, 733/00, 733/84, 737/00, 737/44, 738/651, 702/138, 702/139
• US Class Current: 368/11
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/02 Divers' equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/163 construction or mounting of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/166 with mechanical transmitting or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 47/066 with a pressure sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 7/0842 with start-stop control mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 7/0866 Special arrangements

Abstract

The depth measuring device for a diving watch with a chronograph mechanism, includes a plunger moved by external pressure through a rolling membrane against the action of a return element. The plunger acts on cams belonging to a circular slide mounted in a casing ring. The movement of the slide is transmitted by a gear train to a depth needle and to a dead needle. A pressure sensing device has a sliding plunger mounted inside the winding button. This plunger acts on a control device for automatically starting and stopping the chronograph mechanism. A locking device is used to lock and release the control device and displays a diving flag in the released position. The gear chain displays a safety flag at a predetermined depth. A resetting device allows the various mechanisms and devices to be reset to zero.

Claims

1. A chronograph watch comprising a mechanical sensor mechanism (141, 324) of the external pressure, characterized by the fact that this mechanical sensor mechanism (141, 324) cooperates, via a transmission mechanism (144, 419) with activation and/or deactivation means (125, 427) of a mechanical chronograph mechanism of the watch, so as to start and/or stop the chronograph mechanism automatically as a function of the external pressure.

2. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the mechanical sensor mechanism (141, 324) comprises a cam (119, 408) designed to transmit, via the transmission mechanism (144, 419), to the said activation and/or deactivation means (125, 421) a first control impulse during an increase of the external pressure and a second control impulse during a decrease of the external pressure.

3. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cam (119, 408) is fast with a movable element (112, 406) of the mechanical sensor mechanism (141, 324).

4. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the mechanical sensor mechanism (141, 324) is located in a crown (103, 314) of the chronograph watch, and by the fact that the movable element (112, 406) is slidingly mounted with respect to a stem (126, 405) of the crown.

5. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the transmission mechanism (144, 419) comprises at least one lever.

6. The chronograph watch according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the transmission mechanism (144, 419) comprises a first lever (104, 420) cooperating with the movable element (112, 406) of the mechanical sensor mechanism and a second lever (105, 424) cooperating with the activation and/or deactivation means (125, 427) of the mechanical chronograph mechanism.

7. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the activation and/or deactivation means (125, 427) of the mechanical chronograph mechanism comprises a control strip.

8. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the watch further comprises a pusher (312) for manually starting and stopping the mechanical chronograph mechanism.

9. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the mechanical sensor mechanism (141, 324) delivers, via the transmission mechanism (144, 419) an impulse to the activation and/or deactivation means (125, 427) of the mechanical chronograph mechanism when the external pressure corresponds to a predetermined depth in water.

10. The chronograph watch according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the predetermined depth is comprised between 3 and 5 meters.

11. The chronograph watch according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it comprises further a locking device (327) activable by a user that locks the transmission mechanism in a first position and releases the transmission mechanism in a second position.

12. The chronograph watch according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that the locking device (321) operates to place a flag (443) in a window (310) to indicate whether the watch is in a state in which the chronograph mechanism can be started and/or stopped automatically as a function of the external pressure or not.